It is obvious to know what the team will be focusing on this season: training for and racing Iditarod 2018. Tara, my friend and handler, will have the main spotlight, as we signed her up for The Last Great Race in June at the Iditarod picnic.

Many people have been asking if I am running Iditarod, Yukon Quest or other smaller races this year. Good question! This doggy lifestyle was a dream that was delivered from my soul more than 14 years ago. And in 2011, I decided to make my dream come true. Over the past 6 years, a large part of my heart, soul, time, energy and finances have been poured into my goal of "I want to run Iditarod someday". My team has now successfully finished every race we've started, including two Iditarods (2016 & 2017). This makes my heart and soul shine! I'm very proud of my loving and hard-working team.

In an honest effort to honor my best self, last fall I committed to not running Iditarod in 2018. Because Tara had done so great with the dogs throughout last season, I offered Tara the opportunity to run Iditarod 2018 with my team (I have a small kennel = one team). We are psyched to have Tara back full-time at Bacon's Acres starting mid-September!

I am eager to have more of a mentor and handler role this season, which will allow me to follow Iditarod with a very different, more experienced perspective. I feel it will provide an opportunity for valuable insight into future training and racing. It will also allow me some extra time, energy and freedom to re-balance my life. Already, this summer has been filled with activities which will allow my team and I to thrive as we move forward in life.

Thank you for continuing to love and support our team! It wouldn't be nearly as fun without being able to share the excitement with you.

To answer your question about "What (else) will you be doing this winter?" ... we'll keep you posted. :)